The following excerpt is from Hardy v. C Davis, No. 2:13-cv-0726 JAM DB (E.D. Cal. 2017):
In Fourth Amendment cases, "[a]n action is 'reasonable' . . . regardless of the individual officer's state of mind, 'as long as the circumstances, viewed objectively, justify [the] action.'" Brigham City, Utah v. Stuart, 547 U.S. 398, 404, (2006) (quoting Scott v. United States, 436 U.S. 128, 138 (1978)); see also Nunez, 591 F.3d at 1228. So, while defendants are correct in asserting that any evidence concerning their subjective intent is irrelevant, that does not end the court's inquiry. See Nunez, 591 F.3d at 1228. The issue here is whether the search was "excessive, vindictive, harassing, and unrelated to any legitimate penological interest." See Michenfelder, 860 F.2d at 332.
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